Stretcher for underwear



' (No Model.)

' A. LIGGET.

STRETGHER FOR UNDERWEAR.

No. 543,996. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

1 K M ,5 WW M w M 9 jmdw UNITED STATES PATENT CirrrcE.

ALEX NDER LIeeET, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STRETCHER FOR UNDERWEAR."

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,996, dated August 6, 1895.

Application filed February 14, 1895. Serial No- 3 N model-l To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LIGGET, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements In Forms for Drying Underwear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to forms upon which underwear and the like maybe dried without shrinking and to that class of forms in which there are two or more movable members adapted to be expanded and locked into operatlve position and to be collapsed or folded when the form is not in use.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide an efficient, durable, and comparatively inexpensive form upon which underwear and the like may be dried Without shrinking; second, to provide in such a form a movable member or members adapted to be expanded and locked in operative position and to be collapsed or folded when not in use, and, third, to provide a form comprising a frame having two movable members adapted to receive in one position an undershirt to hold and dry the same and in another position to be folded within the frame when the form is not in use.

My invention consists of the improvements in forms upon which, underwear may be dried without shrinking, as hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and general features of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a form embodying features of my invention, showing the movable members adapted to. be moved into various positions to receive either undershirts or drawers or to be folded in the frame when the form is not in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the form of Fig. 1, illustrating one of the movable members thereof, being sectioned near its locking end; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line a; a: of Fig. 1, illustrating the connection between a movable member of the form and its frame.

Referring to the drawings, a and a represent the movable members of the frame A, made of wood or other preferred material. The members a and a are slotted, as at m, and united in the frame I) by a pin 11., secured to the front and rear faces of said frame, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the pin n is secured to the metal caps oand 0 by suitable pins or screws 9, and the caps in turn are secured by pins or screws q to the framefaces 19 and 11 The lower end of the frame I) is provided with pins b and the upper end with a block b and an extensible hook I), slotted as at b and sliding in said block 79 The hook b is secured in the block b to prevent entire withdrawal therefrom by means of a pin passing through the block b and the slot b of the hook b The inner ends of the members "a and a are rounded and each provided with. a projection a substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and when the members a and a are turned into horizontal position with respect to the frame 1) these rounded ends clear the block 5 but the projections will abut thereon and thereby lock the members in such horizontal position. The slots m permit the members to be drawn outward slightly and when in their horizontal position to release their projections a from the block b and with the rounded portion of the members clearing the block 19 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arms or members a and a may be moved into the various positions indicated by the full and dotted lines. When the form is not in use, the members a and a. are swung into the frame and occupya vertical depending position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When the form is to be used to dry an undershirt, the members a and a are moved into a vertical position with respect to the frame I), as indicated by the dotted lines. The arms of the shirt are then stretched over the movable members and the body is drawn over the frame and secured thereto by the pins 17 after the arms have beenvcaused to assume a horizontal position, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 1. In this position of the form the hook b may be drawn out from the block b and the form hung up by the same onto a line or other preferred support therefor.

When the form is to be used to dry drawers, the movable members a and a, are swung upward above the frame until the straight portion of the members contacts with the block b, and the legs of the drawers are then stretched over these members. In this position the hook I) may be pushed down into the block 11 so as not to contact with any portion of the drawers.

Vith my improved form the underwear is stretched into approximately its required shape While drying, and thus wrinkling and shrinking of the underwear is entirely avoided. When not in use, the movable members may be folded, so that the form maybe stored away in the laundry without occupying much space and without danger of breaking or twisting the form out of shape.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A form for drying underwearorthe like, consisting of a frame, two movable members pivoted in the frame, a block secured in said frame, a projection carried on the inner end of each movable member adapted to abut against said block to lock the members in a horizontal position with respect to said frame and pins securing the members to the frame, each pin passing through the frame and a slot in each of the movable members to constitutea pivotal connection to allow the Inembers in horizontal position to be shifted laterally in said frame to permit the projections of the members to abut against or to clear the block of said frame, whereby said movable members may be moved into operative position to receive underwear and to be locked in such position and to be folded into the frame when not in use, substantially described.

2. A form for drying underwear or the like, consisting of a frame, two movable members pivoted in the frame, a block secured in said frame, a projection carried on the inner end of each movable member adapted to abut against said block to lock the members in horizontal position with respect to said frame and a pin passing through the frame and a slot in the movable members to constitute a pivotal connection to allow the members in horizontal'position to be shifted laterally in said frame to permit the projections of the members to abut against or to clear the block of said frame, whereby said movable mem bers maybe moved into operative position to receive underwear and to be locked in such position and to be folded into the frame when not in use, a slotted hook sliding in the block and secured thereto byapin passing through the block and the slot of the hook and adapted to support the frame and its movable members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my sigi'iature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ALEXANDER LlGGE'i. \Vitnesses:

THOMAS M. Snrrn, RICHARD C. MAXWELL. 

